Sale Sharks Half-season Review 2017/18

27 December 2017 12:24pm

By Neil Leigh

With the season now officially at the halfway stage following last Saturday's 11th Premiership clash of the season at home to Bath, salesharks.com reflects on an eventful first four months of the campaign.

A busy summer at the club saw several top-quality additions join the squad including Faf De Klerk, James O'Connor, Josh Strauss and Jono Ross complementing a squad already packed with exciting young talent.

And there has been no lack of drama in what has been an action-packed opening half to the campaign…

September

A new-look Sale side began the new season away at Wasps in early September and played their full part in what was a dramatic start to the campaign.

Debutants Faf de Klerk and Josh Strauss both scored tries in what was a pulsating encounter with Sale's attacking poise demonstrated with a five-try flourish. However, Wasps proved equally lethal with the ball in hand in what was a remarkable opening match, producing 12 scores in total.

The Sharks' opening home game of the campaign with northern rivals Newcastle saw Sale outplay the Falcons from the first minute onwards before the visitors launched a late, late smash and grab raid to steal a victory.

With a sense of frustration burning deep within, the Sharks ensured they put the record straight the following week by putting newly-promoted London Irish to the sword at the AJ Bell Stadium as they ran in another five tries to further establish the club's reputation as one of the Premiership's most exciting sides. England winger Denny Solomona continued his fine start to the campaign by bagging another brace of tries and the match was also notable for another player, England Saxons prop forward Ross Harrison, with Ross finally dotting down for his first Sharks try in what was his 109th game for the club.

The stop-start nature of the opening month continued away at Saracens the following week on what was a tough afternoon with the Fez-heads running out 41-13 victors.

Sale, however, saved their best until the last fixture of the month as Steve Diamond's side served up a dazzling display of counter-attacking rugby to overwhelm Gloucester 57-10, scoring eight tries in what the club's biggest margin of victory since 2004.

Byron McGuigan grabbed the headlines as the Scotland winger cemented a wonderful start to the season by claiming a terrific hat-trick. Denny Solomona also got in on the act with another brace while Australian star signing James O'Connor marked his debut appearance from the replacements bench with a try on what was a night to remember, not least Alex Tarus's 40-metre charge upfield!

October

The Sharks' inconsistent start to the campaign continued into the second month of the campaign as that fabulous seven-try demolition job on Gloucester was then followed by another frustrating night on the road at Harlequins. The Sharks struggled to contain an early Quins blitz at the Stoop before fighting back after the break to further confirm their attacking prowess, bagging four tries to secure a try bonus point.

Attention then switched from the league to the European Challenge Cup with the Sharks pitted in a power-packed pool two alongside French giants Toulouse and Lyon - who were both flying high in the top three of the Top 14 - together with Pro 14 heavyweights Cardiff. A tense and bruising opening encounter with Toulouse at the AJ Bell tilted one way and then the other before a late penalty by the visitors meant that the spoils were shared.

Seven days later the focus switched across the English Channel to the Stade de Gerland where a Sale side featuring rookie teenager Sam Moore at number eight, who produced an outstanding senior debut, took the fight to Lyon. Two tries from Sam James along with a stunning effort from Denny Solomona looked to have laid the groundwork for a famous win only for Lyon to strike twice in the closing minutes to condemn the Sharks to a heartbreaking loss.

Returning to the Premiership to round off the month, the Sharks agonisingly found themselves on the wrong side of those small margins once more when champions Exeter Chiefs came to town.
Chasing a try which would have won the game and camped on the Chiefs line, Sale were instead penalised allowing Exeter to claim a narrow win to sum up a night of frustration.

November

November proved to be an action-packed month for the Sharks - both on and off the field.
The club were busy in the transfer market, with director of rugby Steve Diamond further bolstering the Sharks' squad with two more top-quality additions.
England international winger Marland Yarde joined the club from Harlequins on a three-year deal in another high-profile signing that further signalled the Sharks' long-term ambitions.

And Sale's exciting back-line was then further beefed up midway through the month when South African powerhouse international inside centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg arrived from Super Rugby side the Lions on a short-term three month loan deal.

47 - Rohan Janse van Rensburg was involved in a try every 47 minutes on average in @SuperRugby 2017 (5?tries & 4?assists in 4?2?4?minutes), the best rate of any player to play 200+ minutes. Frenzy.? pic.twitter.com/2donvRG1ch

The full onset of Autumn also provided a rich bounty for the Sharks on the pitch, with the club securing two excellent back-to-back wins to get their Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign off to a flying start.

A side containing youthful promise including a debut for Cameron Redpath - who became the youngest player to ever start a competitive game for Sale Sharks - combined with a smattering of experience and know-how secured a superb 24-21 success at Worcester Warriors. Before the Sharks then backed that victory up with arguably an even better display at home to Saracens as Sale came from behind to claim an excellent 29-22 triumph.

That fixture also provided further evidence of the Sharks' great work in supporting wonderful local charities with the side wearing special one-off orange kit as the game's proceeds going towards the Once Upon a Smile charity which provides emotional and practical support to bereaved families at their time of need.

Returning to the Premiership, the Sharks then arguably served up their best 40 minutes of the season in the imposing surroundings of Welford Road with Marland Yarde scoring a superb debut try before a late, late Tigers fightback secured a 35-27 win that was desperately tough on the Sharks.

However, Sale responded in fighting fashion six days later at home to Northampton where, in the teeth of freezing sleet and a driving wind, the Sharks secured a crucial 18-15 win with the irrepressible flanker Ben Curry bagging his fourth try in consecutive games and replacement scrum-half Will Cliff clinching the points with a fine long-range penalty.

On the international front meanwhile, it was a month to remember for Byron McGuigan who, a week after making his full Test debut for Scotland against the All Blacks, marked his first full start for the national team with a man-of-the-match display against Australia, Byron scoring two tries in a record-breaking 53-24 win over the Wallabies.

December

The Sharks maintained their forward momentum as the season headed into the final month of 2017 with December getting off to the ideal start as Sale made a quick-fire return to Worcester, this time in the Premiership. The club shrugged off the setback of two yellow cards and the subsequent sending-off of Byron McGuigan before replacement Mark Jennings bagged a fabulous late try to seal a priceless 18-14 Premiership win at Sixways. The hard-fought encounter also saw Rohan Janse van Rensburg cap an outstanding individual performance by claiming his first try for the club.

Eight days later, the Sharks secured another notable landmark when the focus switched back to the European Challenge Cup. The first assignment in a back-to-back doubleheader with pro 14 side Cardiff Blues at a snowy, freezing AJ Bell Stadium saw Sale secure a professional 24-0 victory. Nilling the opposition was a notable achievement and it was only the sixth time that Sale had secured a shut-out since the advent of professionalism 20 years ago.

However, in equally appalling weather conditions at Cardiff Arms Park eight days later, the Blues gained their revenge against a much-changed Sale side, securing a 14-6 triumph to maintain to spot in pool two and leave the Sharks battling against the odds if they are to secure a quarter-final berth.

Returning to the Premiership and the AJ Bell Stadium, Steve Diamond's men then served up arguably their best 40 minutes' rugby in years as super Sale demolished high-flying Bath 32-9 in a Christmas cracker of a display.

A third straight league victory lifted the side up into equal sixth place in the table at the official halfway point of the season and thrilled the biggest crowd of the season to date who played their part by creating a wonderful atmosphere at the AJ Bell Stadium.